Ambience is the flagship of British cruise line Ambassador Cruises. Launched from the ashes of the defunct CMV after COVID closed that business down, Ambience was acquired in what was a very strange fire sale of older vessels by Carnival Corporation.
Built as Regal Princess for Princess Cruises, this fascinating vessel later saw service with P&O Cruises Australia before a planned sales to CMV where she was to become Amy Johnson. With CMV dead in the water the ship was sold to become a floating hotel for Crypto currency traders in the Gulf of Panama. This bizarre plan came to nothing, and the ship made her way slowly west towards India and almost inevitable breaking.
En route the ship was sold to Ambassador Cruises who took her over and sailed her to Rijeka in Croatia for environmental updates to allow her to sail in sensitive Norwegian fjords as well as rebranding. Much of the interior retained its Australian décor but most public rooms were renamed after British (predominantly London centric) venues such as Buckingham for the restaurant, Centre Court (as in Wimbledon) for the atrium and The Palladium for the show lounge.
The ship set sail on her inaugural Ambassador cruise on 20th April 2022 and has since largely called Tilbury her home port. She undertakes a wide range of cruises from short party breaks to longer cruises from the UK around the mediterranean, South America, Norway, and round Britain Cruises. Now firmly established as one of the UK’s best loved cruise lines, Ambience enjoys healthy passenger loads and high levels or repeat business.
Our cruise was a bank holiday break of 3 nights to Honfleur in Northern France, a beautiful fishing village on the banks of the Seine. We set sail from the ship’s Tilbury terminal which is about 45 minutes outside of London. The classic terminal which has welcomed passengers from all over the world during the golden age liner travel with people immigrating and emigrating.
The terminal is currently undergoing refurbishment in the baggage handling area but is a fascinating structure. Once checked in passengers board the vessel via a floating pontoon.
Passengers enter the ship in the atrium also known as Centre Court, a bold, colourful, elegant space that sets the tone for the rest of the ship. This deck is known as Reception Deck and is home to a number of outside cabins.
Deck seven also known as Promenade Deck, as its name suggests, features outdoor promenades on both sides of the ship as well as SW19, Raffles and The Botanical Lounge, all bars with various themes and styles. It is also the entrance to the Palladium theatre. This deck is also home to the Buckingham restaurant, which is open for early and late dinner service, breakfast and on sea days, lunch. The food is essentially a copy and paste of the old CMV menus, which is no bad thing at all. The food is best described as contemporary British favourites. Portion sizes are quite small, but four or more courses can be served giving a satisfying overall experience.
Boat Deck is home to another bar, The purple turtle pub which overlooks the atrium and also has entrances to the upper part of the Palladium. Lido deck is home to the two outdoor pools, Borough market buffet which is set up to house different cuisines in themed outlets giving a kind of market style feel. It is very well done indeed. The back part of the space is home to the extra cost Saffron Indian Restaurant which is a wonderful place to go and very reasonably priced too.
The sun Deck has plenty of space for sun loungers and also the Observatory which is a beautiful cocktail lounge overlooking the bow of the ship. It is an extremely popular spot for drinks and live music in the evenings.
The ship is extremely stable and was clearly very well built. Maintenance is well kept on top of but as you would expect from a 36-year-old ship, companionways and cabin fittings are very much of their time and showing signs of age. There is plenty of use of stainless steel and dark wood cabinetry.
Honfleur was a beautiful port of call and an easy 20-minute walk into town from the cruise berth. There was a regular shuttle too for those who did not fancy the walk. As we were staying overnight, many people enjoyed the local bars and restaurants that evening.
The shows on board were excellent although I had seen them before on other lines that use same entertainment company. The team was however excellent, as was the British cruise director.
The ambience is onboard is relaxed and comfortable. The drinks menus are extensive and the cocktails in particular are excellent. Onboard shopping is not that great however with small shops and a limited range of items.
There is huge scope for the line to expand. The product is superb, pricing is keen, departure ports all over the UK make embarking a cruise a doddle with no airports to contend with. The company partner with coach firms as well to bring people to the ships.
Christopher Brindle
